Tent-support.



H. 0. WBLLMAN.

TENT SUPPORT. APPLICATION FILED Imm, 191s.

' Patented Mar. 10, 1914 We I 0. W 6 e@ mwa www# lll- FFTCE.

HENRY ORRIS WELL-MAN, OF SOMEB/ VILLE MASSACHUSETTS.

TENT-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

iesasos.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

Application tiled February 5, 1913. Serial No. 746,392.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY Onlus l/VELL- MAN,a citizen of the United States, residing at Somerville, in the countyot' Middlesex, State ot Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Tent- Supports, of which the following is aspecilication.

This invention relates to tents, and has particular reference to themeans vfor supporting the same in position for use.

One of the objects oi" the invention is to provide supporting devicesfor tents which are strong, and yet collapsible to a small compass tofacilitate transportation of the same.

A further object is to prvide an improved ground pin for the guy-ropesemployed to properly hold a wall tent.

To these ends the invention consists in the improvements which I shallnow proceed to describe and claim.

Ot' the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tentheld by my improved supporting devices, the upper portion ot' the tentproper being broken away to more clearly illustrate the invention. Fig.2 is a side elevation oi' the center piece for supporting the ridge ofthe tent. Figs. 3 and l are, respectively, plan and side views oit thebraces employed in connection with the center piece shown in Fig. 2.Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the uprights and portions ot' thedevices cooperating therewith. Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are, respectively, frontand side elevations, and a perspective view of the improved ground pinsor staple-pins for the guys ol' the tent. Fig. 9 is a View looking Yfromthe right ot' Fig. Q.

Similar reference characters indicate similar parts in all of the views.

The two uprights or poles 10 are made ot three sections, and areconveniently made of common steam-pipe. They may vary in size and lengthaccording to size ot' the tent. The sections are removably connected byordinary beaded, threaded couplings 11. The lower end of the lowersection is preferably formed or provided with a flange 12 to bear uponthe surface of the ground, to prevent the pole from sinking in toodeeply. A pin 13 indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and of a size toenter the lower end of the tubular lower section 10, is preferablyemployed. Two such pins 13, when driven into the ground properly spaced,will determine the spacing ot the two uprights or poles 10. The upperend of the upper section of each upright is formed or provided with ashoulder coupling or collar 1li, having a grooved enlargement 15, a pinor stud 1G, projecting upwardly for the same purpose as the usual pin,at the upper ends ot the tent poles, such pins entering suitable grometsin the tent cloth. A rope 1T ot proper length, having end loops 1S toengage the grooved enlargements 15, is preferably employed to supportthe peak of the tent cloth.

To exert spreading pressure against the uprights and upward pressureagainst the ridge, I employ a center' piece 1S) and two braces 20, thesethree members being of substantially equal length. These three piecesare preferably made of suitable hardwood. The center piece or strut 19,tapers toward its upper edge, as best shown in Fig. 9, and said upperedge is longitudinally grooved to receive the ridge rope 17. Thetapering upper edge oi the member 19 enables it to tit the top oit thetent quite snugly, whether a rope 17 is employed or not. The ends of thecenter piece or strut 1) are recessed, as at 21, said ends beingstrengthened by terrules 22 having transverse screws or bolts 23, therecesses 21 receiving the round ends 24C oit the two braces Q0, the,other ends of the braces 2O being recessed or grooved, as at 25, toengage or straddle the uprights 10, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Toprevent the outer ends of the braces from splitting, T preferablyreinforce or strengthen the same by transverse bolts or screws 2G.

Mounted on each upright 10 is an adjustable stop 27, having a clampscrew QS, by which it may be tightened on the upright after beingadjusted vertically thereon.

The tent Q9 is shown as the well known wall type. Such tents, as is wellknown, have at each end of the peak a gromet to tit over the pin at thetop of the post or upright. Such structure being well known, I have notdeemed it necessary to illustrate it in the drawings. To set up such atent. it is only necessary, after the uprights have been placed inposition as shown in Fig. 1, to slip the gromets of the tent Q9 over thepins 1G. To then tighten the ridge, the adjustable stops 27 are pushedupwardly so as to slide the recessed ends oi the braces 20 up, so thatthe rounded ends oit the braces will act upon the center piece or strut19 to elevate the latter. Such elevation, of course, is limited by therope 17, or by the tent cloth above the rope, and the reaction throughthe braces 20 spreads the upper ends of the uprights and increases thetightness of the ridge.

The usual guys of the tent are connected to suitable pins 30 which haveangular andV pointed upper ends. These pins are driven into the earth,as indicated in Figs. 1 and 8, and the side guy ropes or cords 31 areconnected to the apex of the angular tops of the staples. As suchstaples can be driven into the ground at such an angle, and to such anextent that the tops of the straight pins will be flush with the surfaceof the ground, the strain or pull will then be exerted in a direct lineof the bent upper ends of the staplepins. The usual end guys 32, areshown as connected to staple-pins of the same form as 'those at thesides of the tent.

Vhile the center piece or strut may be independent of the ridge rope 17,and capable of being' packed up for transportation alongside of thebraces 20, I prefer for some purposes to have the said center piece orstrut 19 connected to the mid-length of the ridge rope 17, as bysuitable pins or staples 33 (Fig. 2) driven through the rope into thestrut 19.

To set up a tent, I place the pins 13 in the ground the desired distanceapart to correspond with the length of the ridge rope, or the distancebetween the loops 1S, the ends of the pins 13 projecting a shortdistance above the ground. I then couple the sections of the uprightstogether and place them over the pins 13, with the foot flanges 12bearing upon the ground. rlhe loops of the ridge rope are then slippedover the grooved enlargements 15. I then throw the tent over the ridgeand cause the pins 16 to project through the usual groniets employed inthe peak or apex of the tent, and I then attach the guy ropes of thetent to the staple-pins, for the same purpose as that when ordinary woodstakes or tent pins are employed. As is well known, the guy ropes wouldextend from the oround at the proper distance to pull exactly in linewith the slant of the roof of the tent when the walls thereof are pinnedto the ground and intended to be vertical and taut. Assuming that thecenter piece or strut'19 is in place, depending from the mid-length ofthe ridge rope, I place the braces 20 in position by inserting theirrounded ends in the recesses of the center pins 19, the outer ends ofthe braces 20 spanning the uprights. I then press the outer ends of thebraces upwardly until the ridge becomes straight and taut, the stops 27being then slipped upwardly and clamped, to hold the braces in theposition to which they have been adjusted. This structure as niittingthe braces to slide down.. Or said braces might be removed until it isagain desired to tighten up the ridge.

I do not consider it always necessary to employ the ridge rope 17,because the peak of the tent itself, owing to its gromets tit-A tingover the pins 16, might serve to take the pressure of the arched support19, 20 in the same manner as has been described in connection with thetightening of the ridge rope 17.

I do not herein claim thestaple-shaped pins illustrated and described,as the saine forms the subject matter of a divisional application filedNovember 18, 1913, Serial Number 801,604.

I claim 1. A tent support comprising uprights, a flexible ridge forconnecting the upper portion of the uprights, and means forsimultaneously exerting spreading pressure against the uprights andupward pressure against the ridge, said means comprising a center pieceand braces adapted to engage the ends of the center piece and theuprights.

2. A tent support comprising uprights, a fiexible ridge for connect-ingthe upper portion of the uprights, and means for simultaneously exertingspreading pressure against the uprights and upward pressure against theridge, said means comprising a center piece having end recesses, and twobraces, each having one end formed to enter an end recess of the centerpiece and having the other end recessed to engage an upright, andadjustable clamps carried by the uprights.

3. A tent support comprising uprights, a flexible ridge for connectingthe upper portion of the uprights, and means for simultaneously exertingspreadingpressure against the uprights and upward pressure against theridge, said means comprising a center piece having a narrow upper edgeto lit the top of a tent, and braces to engage the ends of said centerpiece and the uprights.

In testimony whereof I have aihxed my signature, in presence ot twowitnesses.

HENRY oasis WELLMAN.

Vitnesses i WILLIAM J. MCLELLAN, AUBREY McLnLLAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Eatexitt,

Washington., D. G. V

III

